Author's Note: I do not own House. I gotta keep my day job. Drat! Ok, so I was sweating bullets writing this chapter because, AT LAST, Sarah and House are reunited and I knew there were big expectations for that scene. I hope you won't be disappointed. As always, read and review, please!
"We can get you up to see House now," Dr. Chase said. Sarah froze. She thought she might faint and was relieved when she felt Dr. Hadley grip her elbow. How could she possibly face Greg? She had said awful things to him. He'd still tried to help her, taking care of her dog when she was too frightened to return to her apartment. And then he'd gotten hurt, been attacked by a maniac looking for her. No apology, or thank you, could possibly be adequate.
"I can't," she whispered.
"Can't what?" Dr. Chase asked. "Should we get you a wheel chair?"
"I can't see him," she said. "What would I say to him? He's hurt and that's all my fault. I can't." She shook her head. Dr. Hadley startled her by stepping in front of her and gripping both of her shoulders.
"That man has been frantic with worry about you," she said firmly. "You have to go up there and let him see that you are alright." Sarah shook her head, feeling tears streaming down her face.
"I said horrible things to him on Monday. He tried to help me and I pushed him away. I don't think I can face him…"
"Sarah, listen to me," Dr. Chase spoke softly. "House is sitting up there, waiting to see you. He isn't going to rest until he knows you're ok. All you have to do tonight is let him see you. He's not going to ask you a bunch of questions; he'll probably fall asleep as soon as he knows you're alright. In the morning, when you're both rested and feeling better, you can decide if you want to talk to him. Ok?"
"Ok," Sarah said.
House started when the door to his room opened. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. He shot a glance at the clock and saw that it was 2:30. Thirteen approached his bed.
"Sarah's coming. She and Chase are just behind me. She's pretty shaken up so go easy on the questions, ok?" She didn't have a chance to say anything more because the door was opening. She stepped aside and House's eyes latched onto Sarah.
His first thought was that he didn't know a person who was still breathing could be so pale. His second thought was that she'd lost weight since Monday evening. There were dark shadows under her eyes, making them seem sunk into her face. House could see tear tracks on her cheeks. She came forward slowly, looking like a child who'd done something wrong and was about to be punished. He cursed his injuries and his bad leg. All he wanted to do was jump out of the bed and wrap his arms around her, hold her close and tell her that everything was going to be alright. A cynical voice in the back of his mind laughed at that – he didn't do meaningless platitudes - but he squashed it.
She looked at him finally and he could see tears in her eyes. He held out his hand to her and she crossed the remaining distance in three long strides, flinging herself against him. He wrapped his free arm around her, hating the sling that kept him from being able to use both arms. His ribs protested the pressure from Sarah's right arm but he didn't care. Maggie wiggled her way between them, tail wagging like crazy, and House wasn't sure how much of the moisture hitting his neck was from Sarah's tears and how much was from Maggie's tongue as she tried frantically to reach Sarah's face. He buried his hand in Sarah's hair.
"It's ok," he told her. "Everything's ok." Sarah moved her arm from House's left side, wrapping it around the dog, and the pain in his side eased. They stayed that way for several minutes, just clinging to one another, and then Sarah seemed to go limp. House tightened his grip even as Chase stepped up to steady her.
"She's exhausted," Thirteen said softly. "You both need to get some sleep."
"Take her home, and stay with her," House said.
"The patient…" Thirteen began, but he cut her off.
"The patient is fine," House said firmly. "Stay with her."
"We will," Chase told him. House reluctantly let go of Sarah and Chase kept an arm around her, steadying her. She looked like she might collapse. Thirteen moved to work the bed controls, laying House back down, before lifting Maggie off of the bed.
"Get some sleep," she told him. He nodded but he watched as the four of them left his room. He knew he needed to sleep but he couldn't help feeling a bit bereft, watching all of them leave together.
When House had put his arm around Sarah and told her that everything was ok, Thirteen had felt tears prick at her eyes. She'd wanted to leave the room, to give them some semblance of privacy, but Sarah had been unsteady on her feet and House was in no position to catch her. She'd stayed as far back as she could, trying not to watch them while still being ready to step up and catch Sarah. Chase was at her side. He clearly had the same things in mind.
She watched Sarah closely as they made their way out of the hospital. They'd stopped at House's office to collect Maggie's car carrier and to pick up House's keys, which Lucas had returned after Thirteen kicked him out of the ER. By the time they got Sarah down to Chase's car, she was practically sleep-walking.
At the apartment building, Chase got his arm around Sarah to keep her upright while Thirteen took the dog carrier and the keys. She fumbled through them, trying to find the right one for Sarah's front door. She hoped Lucas hadn't been too messy in his search earlier.
Thirteen was relieved to find that the apartment was still tidy. She would never have guessed that anyone had been there but Maggie dashed through the place, smelling everywhere the intruder had been. Sarah looked around, reaching out sleepily to straighten something here or there. Thirteen took her arm and guided her back to her bedroom, where she revived enough to change into pajamas. Once she was lying in the bed, the dog beside her, Thirteen returned to the living room, where Chase sat sleepily on the couch. She dropped down on the other end of the couch.
"She asleep?" he asked, yawning.
"Not yet," Thirteen replied. "We've got House's keys – you could go borrow his bed."
"I'll stay here," Chase said. "House was pretty emphatic that we stay with her."
"He's different around her," Thirteen said and Chase nodded.
"Less guarded." He stopped and they both turned as Sarah came into the living room, followed by Maggie.
"You should be sleeping," Thirteen told her.
"I can't. I… I just don't feel right here," she said quietly, looking around the living room. "That man, Lucas, didn't make a mess but it just feels… wrong."
"You want to go across the hall to House's apartment?" asked Chase.
Sarah couldn't sleep. She'd changed into her pajamas and lay in her bed. She closed her burning eyes, but sleep wouldn't come. Her apartment felt off somehow. All she could think of was that man, Lucas, going through all her things. She tossed and turned for a few minutes and knew that it was useless. Even though Lucas had been here to help, it still felt like a violation. She didn't feel secure here.
She got up and went out to the living room, finding Drs. Chase and Hadley on her couch. Maggie trailed behind her.
"You should be sleeping," Dr. Hadley chided.
"I can't," Sarah said. "I… I just don't feel right here. That man, Lucas, didn't make a mess but it just feels… wrong."
"You want to go across the hall to House's apartment?" asked Dr. Chase. Sarah wasn't sure she'd sleep any better there but she nodded. She gathered her slippers and the four of them made their way across the hall. Sarah climbed into Greg's bed, breathing in his scent and feeling more at ease. She pulled his pillow close to her, hugging it the way a child might hug a teddy bear. Within minutes she was fast asleep.
